A building inspector is an individual who is qualified to inspect both domestic and commercial structures.
• They ensure that buildings comply with the necessary standards and regulations, and the original building plan.
• It is also their job to verify the workmanship of the builder or tradesperson and to identify any defects, if any.
• While regulations differ from state to state, Alabama as a whole has a very strict set of standards that all builders and contractors are expected to adhere to. Failure to do so can result in consequences for the individual responsible.
A building inspection can be carried out prior, during and after a structure has been built and is sometimes done at random to ensure builders are complying with the correct standards. Commercial structures in particular are typically always subjected to a thorough building inspection to ensure safety.
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PIRC is NOT a crisis or suicide hotline. Call for mental health resources.
The PIRC is generously supported by funding from the Anne B. LaRussa Foundation of Hope, United Way of Central Alabama, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama and the Walker Area Community Foundation.
December is always a special time for me. I love getting to see our family and friends. As we’ve gotten older and people have scattered all around the world, it’s the one time we all manage to make the trip back home. After the last two years, I think we have gotten more acutely aware that the people are what’s important, not the things.
When our friend, Vickie Reuter, told me that I needed to check out her neighbor’s Christmas Village for a story, I was not prepared for what I would find at Dianna England’s
house. The detail of her Christmas Village and the love that goes into preparing and displaying it is incredible.
Santa Ruskie and I have known each other for several years, so when I saw his post about recreating his original santa photoshoot, I knew it would be a cute way to introduce him to our readers.
We also included photos from the Gardendale High School football team’s playoff run this year. While I know the players were disappointed they weren’t able to go all the way to state, the rest of us are grateful they gave us such a fun, exciting season.
And, of course, we added photos of the annual Christmas parade, which has always been one of the largest events in the north Jefferson area. This year was no exception, with crowds lining both sides of the parade route. Even an hour before the parade began, parking spots near the parade route were impossible to find.
I hope you all enjoy this issue and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s. We will see you in 2023!
Rachel Davis Karr, Content Director
Gardendale Magazine is published monthly by JBMC Media, a Birmingham-based publishing company. The magazine is available at nearly 90 locations throughout Gardendale, free of charge, and is supported by the advertisers within the pages of this magazine. Subscriptions by mail area also available for $35 per year. Email matthew@jbmcmedia.com for more information.
Gardendale Magazine is 100% local; the stories and photos are all about the city of Gardendale, its residents, its businesses, its schools, and its cultural institutions. It’s our promise to you that we will always keep it this way, so that the content and stories are relevant to everyone who calls Gardendale home.
Cover photo by Amy Hill.
Steve and Jane Rusk have long been known for their holiday appearances as Santa and Mrs. Claus. Read about them in our feature story on page 8.
Matthew Allen
Share your moments with all of Gardendale. Engaged? Recently married? Celebrating a special birthday or anniversary? Share it with us so we can let everybody in town know about it! Here’s what to do:
• Email a high-resolution photo, 50-75 word description, and the name(s) of the people in the announcement to celebrations@jbmcmedia.com.
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• Deadline is the 5th of the month prior to the issue you wish the celebration to appear in.
Steve Rusk is a normal guy with a normal job, 11 months a year. Sure, sometimes a kid’s gaze will linger on him a little longer while he’s grocery shopping or grabbing a bite to eat with his wife, Jane. For those kids, he keeps a business card handy that just reads “Santa.”
But when the calendar rolls to December, Rusk takes time off from his regular job and sinks into his Santa role full-time. During December, he has events every day, sometimes two or three in a day.
So how did he get started as Santa?
In about 1988, Rusk belonged to the Scottish Rite Masonic Organization and they hosted a shoe day every December to give shoes and socks to needy children. During one event, Rusk spotted a box labeled “Santa” and older members told him it had belonged to a member who passed away. He had always dressed as Santa for the kids. Rusk immediately volunteered to reignite the tradition. For the next few years, he dressed as Santa for the event and occasionally made appearances at local churches, or for family friends.
Then, in 2013, a photographer friend of his, Amy Hill, knew he sometimes dressed as Santa, called to see if he would be willing to stand in for her Santa pictures that year. Rusk was done with the fake beards though, so he told her to give him a year. In 2014, Rusk debuted his real beard as “Santa Ruskie,” and never looked back.
He loves seeing the smiles on kids’ faces when they see Santa, but especially likes the ones that need some convincing.
“When I have one that’s a little timid or scared, to be able to win them over and have them sit with Santa and talk to them, that’s really fun,” Rusk said.
He hosts a large annual event at Cahaba Brewery and a Samford Alumni event, along with other events that have him pre-booked through most of the season, long before December starts. But those commercial events aren’t the thing that keeps him doing this year after year.
He is the official Santa for Children’s Hospital. These visits are some of his most rewarding during the season, although he chokes up a little when he talks about the hours spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, holding small and critically-ill infants. Being able to give those families some kind of normalcy in the midst of the stress they are going through, is the most rewarding part of the holiday season.
He and his wife, Jane, who also dresses up as Mrs. Claus, visit Ronald McDonald House each year. Those small, less public events are the ones he really enjoys.
This year, Rusk recreated his first ever photo shoot with the real beard, using the original photographer, props and even the same co-star, Alyssa Hill, eight years later. It was one of his few indulgences during his busiest season yet.
“It was wild last year, it’s even more wild this year,” Rusk said. “People are trying to make up for the last two years of COVID.”
For those events he can’t fit in, Rusk often refers people to one of his fellow Santas. In fact, he is president of the Cotton State Santas, which is part of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas.
“When I have one that’s a little timid or scared, to be able to win them over and have them sit with Santa and talk to them, that’s really fun.”ABOVE: PHOTO BY AMY HILL / BELOW: PHOTO BY STEVE RUSK
Last year, a new nonprofit started in Gardendale and brought with it a fun, new tradition. The second annual Rocket Around the Christmas Tree Trail is happening now on the Civic Center’s lawn. The event honors Gardendale’s Dick Lee.
Lee was known to Gardendale residents for his strong faith and sense of duty to his community. Lee was passionate about the city of Gardendale and served in many capacities with different organizations. He served as a deacon at Gardendale First Baptist and was a member of the Gardendale School Board.
He passed away in 2017, at the age of 64.
Last year, his family and friends established a scholarship fund that would be awarded to
// Continued from Page 10 //
a Gardendale Senior. As part of the scholarship fund, the group created the tree trail at the civic center. Last year, there were 72 trees and sponsors. This year, there are 90. Last year, two Gardendale High School seniors were awarded the Dick Lee Scholarship, Ella Moody and William Battle.
Sponsors for the event are People’s Bank of Alabama, Chuck and Kent Herndon, Walt and Sandy Thomas,Extreme Roofing and Construction, Superior Services Electric, Money Management Services, Inc., Southwood Properties, The Nix Agency, UAB Medicine, State Farm-Will Hardman, Boyer Heating and Air, Mattress Firm, North Hill, Keller Williams, CocaCola, Alabama 811, Brookwood Baptist Health, Gardendale Surgery Center, J. Berry Brooks, Jr. PC, CPA, J7S Management, Chick-Fil-A, Rick and Karen White Family, Journey Life Group and Townes + Woods PC. Plus, all the tree sponsors.
The trees will be lit through January 2, 2023. The event is free and visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite trees. Some trees have themes, while others have been transformed into characters or other items entirely.
Gardendale High School’s football team faced Oxford, Decatur and Muscle Shoals in the playoffs this year. The Rockets made it all the way to the quarterfinals, before Muscle Shoals defeated the team to end its season at home in Driver Stadium.
When we spoke to head coach Chad Eads before the season, he was optimistic that his players would have a successful season, and they lived up to those expectations. At the time, Eads also cautioned that the team was incredibly young, which means that the incredible showing this year may be a preview for next year in many ways. The team will lose some leaders after this season, and their experience was a large part of the reason the team performed so well in the regular season and postseason this year.
The season was also special for photographer Vickie Unlap, who has been photographing this group of boys since they were children playing park league ball at the local parks.
by Vickie Unlap (fodaction.com)
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About 20 years ago, Dianna England was shopping at Lowe’s when she saw a Christmas Village on display. It was love at first sight. She bought a small set of “starter” pieces and set her little village up on part of her kitchen counter. That year, her son bought her another piece for Christmas and, over the next few years, a pattern developed that family and friends would give a figure for her birthday and then a building or a tree or something larger for Christmas. The collection just kept growing.
“It was a little piece of the counter, then the whole counter, then it went off the counter to the table and then I started buying the buffet tables,” England said, laughing.
By the time she met and married her husband, Dale, a few years ago, the collection was a massive undertaking. When they moved to a new house in the Longwood Subdivision, England decided it might be time to let her beloved village go. The smaller space and lack of a great place to display the village made it impractical to continue. Dale refused to let her
give up the collection she had built over two decades, and eventually the couple decided to clean out their garage for a few months and display the collection there.
Watching England move through her village and point out pieces, it’s easy to see why her husband wanted her to keep it. She delights in telling the stories about each piece, its significance and how she acquired it.
One of her favorites is the Graceland replica, acquired right after a trip to the landmark just before her dad died. He loved Elvis and Graceland and the model reminds her of him. He also loved trains, so the train set that runs through the village was added as an ode to him. She also has gotten figures and pieces dedicated to the Marines for the last few years, to honor her son, who is serving. Others were given as gifts by people close to her, while still others have a name in common with someone she loves.
“So many of these pieces have memories or people attached to them,” she said as she pointed out the various pieces across the board.
She knows exactly where each piece is, she sets them up meticulously over the course of about 3 weeks. She begins on November 1 and turns the village on for Thanksgiving. This is the couple’s third year in the new home and it has already turned them into minor celebrities in the community. A child came by over the summer to sell candy as a fundraiser and mentioned that he loves the village and other neighbors make remarks about it when they see the couple out for a run.
To view the village, visit the home at 4360 Longwood Drive. They ask that you please just be considerate of their neighbors and watch your step as you take your turn at the viewing windows of the garage. The lights usually remain on each night until England’s son goes home after Christmas, usually about a week after the holiday.
Students at Snow Rogers Elementary School collected $6,800.30 for the Kids Heart Challenge. The top two students who collected the most were Lily and Jake. Jonah was the winner of the dragon. We had 23 students who collected over $100 for the cause.
The GES November students of the month were honored for their hard work and great display of character. Students of the month are treated to lunch courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings. Students are: Dev Patel, Ellie Bryan, William Oldfield, Liam Peek, Kate Gravitt and Victoria Sophal
Snow Rogers hosted its annual Thanksgiving dinner for families of students at Snow Rogers. Every year, the event is a big hit with the families and students.
Gardendale
Gardendale High School students and teachers raised money again this year for Christmas Visions. The program raises money for students in need during the holidays. There is also a pep rally with Bragg Middle School to celebrate the program’s each year.
The Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the newlyopened storefront on Fieldstown Road. The Cigar Shop is located at 239 Fieldstown Road (the shopping center with Pasquales) and is open Tuesday through Saturday.
The construction of Bill Noble Park is moving along. The fields have turf and lights have been installed. The park is expected to open early in 2023.
The Gardendale Miracle League celebrated the end of its Fall season with a Halloween party.
Easy Cookies and Cream Fudge made with Oreo cookies, evaporated milk, mini marshmallows and white chocolate chips. Makes perfect food gifts, too.
Prep Time: 13 mins / Cook Time: 11 mins / Total Time: 24 mins
Servings: 48 servings / Calories: 143kcal
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup salted butter not margarine
1 5-oz can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
1 1/2 12-oz packages white chocolate chips (3 cups)
1 7-oz jar marshmallow cream or 1 (10-oz) package mini marshmallows
3 cups coarsely crushed Oreo cookies about 25 cookies, divided
9x9 pan
To make it easy to remove fudge and cut into small pieces, line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Stir together sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 3 minutes without stirring.
Set a timer; don’t guess. Remove from heat and add white chocolate chips and marshmallow cream; stir until both have melted and mixture is smooth. Gently stir in 2 1/2 cups crushed cookies.
Pour fudge in prepared pan and spread to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup crushed cookies over warm fudge and press down gently with fingertips. Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours). You can speed this up by placing in the refrigerator. Cut into 48 pieces (8x6).
Kathleen is a food blogger, food stylist, cookbook author, and former Oxmoor House test kitchen director (Southern Living cookbooks). On her food blog, GritsAndGouda.com, she creates Southern shortcut recipes. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
December 6-January 1: The second annual Rocket Around the Christmas Tree Trail at the Gardendale Civic Center will be open to the public. The event benefits the Dick Lee Scholarship Fund. No admission is charged, but businesses, families and other organizations sponsor and decorate the trees.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
December 15, 16, 17: The event will be held at Gardendale High School. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, and are available at the Gardendale Public Library and Gardendale Civic Center. For more information, contact (205)631.6639.
Christmas Party Potluck
December 16, 10:30 a.m.: The Gardendale Public Library will host a Christmas Party Potluck. Bring a dish to share and celebrate with the community.
Dance Band, Men in Black
December 20 & 27, 6 p.m.: Shows at the Gardendale Senior Center.
New Year’s Movie
December 30, 10:30 a.m.: The Gardendale Public Library will host a Social Cafe-New Year’s Movie. Bring a snack and friends. Popcorn and soda will be provided. For movie title, call 205.631.6639.
Gardendale City Council Meeting
January 2 & 16, 6 p.m: The Gardendale City Council will hold its regular meetings on these dates at the Gardendale City Hall Building.
Every Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Museum is open to the public.
To have an item added to our calendar, please send information to rachel@jbmcmedia.com.
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Bariatric and Robotic General Surgery
Dr. Andrew DeWitt (205) 502-4400
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Ophthalmology
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